RICHRATH Project 3:13 – L.A. Is Mine (2021)

Lead guitarist and songwriter for REO Speedwagon from 1970 until 1989, when Gary Richrath left the band he formed his own group RICHRATH releasing their debut CD ‘Only the Strong Survive’ in 1992. RICHRATH featured the songwriting partnership of Gary and vocalist Michael Jahnz, and they toured together for over a decade playing the album songs plus the ones Gary had written for REO Speedwagon.
Early in this new Century, Gary and Jahnz went separate ways but still friends and with the idea of reforming RICHRATH the band again in the future. So many ans have been waiting and wanting “new” RICHRATH music but since the unfortunate passing of Gary in 2015 they have almost lost hope.

The perfect storm has finally happened this 2021… Jahnz has gathered himself a phenomenal group of talented musicians, dusted off a few never heard before RICHRATH recordings and is releasing “L.A. Is Mine“, now under the moniker RICHRATH Project 3:13.
Not only will you be hearing new Richrath music but, Gary’s magical guitar work is here a again with 3 previously unreleased songs recorded back in the day.
The rest are new originals written by Jahnz, of course, with that ’80s feel & sound in the vein of REO Speedwagon, Tyketto, and more.

Project 3:13 is the name of Jahnz’s own band formed in 2000’s, so for this new RICHRATH album he decided to add the ‘Project 3:13’ to the release.
It’s great to hear these lost RICHRATH tapes / songs featuring Gary Richrath performing, but also the new ones are great, some co-written by Gary & Jahnz in the Nineties but never recorded until now.
Not only Jahnz is in great vocal form, but also the band members are excellent players, having been part of bands like Badd Habit, Average Black and White Band, Roadkill, etc. and worked as session musicians.

Over the course of their time together, Gary and Michael recorded numerous tracks for a follow – up album. In 2019, the record company that originally released the ‘Only the Strong Survive’ album approached Michael with the idea of re-releasing the album and also wanted Michael to record a new one to carry on Gary’s legacy with those demos he and Gary had worked on all those years ago.

The re-release of ‘Only the Strong Survive’ did happen in 2019, and Michael simultaneously decided to resurrect the Richrath Band and so, Richrath Project 3:13 was born – with the name based on the Michael and Gary “thing” which was a phenomenon they continuously found themselves seeing (3:13) and also referring to the time they would always find themselves in the studio, 3:13 am.
Dark Star Records stepped in and decided to pick up the project and signed Richrath Project 3:13 to their label and now we have ”L.A. Is Mine”.

All is very good classic stuff; the 3 unreleased tracks featuring Gary Richrath, the five new originals, and re-recorded versions of REO’s “Ridin’ The Storm Out” and “Son Of A Poor Man” as bonus tracks.
Gary was a principal songwriter on the majority of REO’s classic records, and was well known for his unforgettable stage presence. Simply put, Richrath Project 3:13 is a version of REO Speedwagon in their early years – when they rocked harder and weren’t so “ballad-based.”
Highly Recommended

01 – Never Give Up
02 – Help Me Save Me from Myself *
03 – Heard It on the Radio
04 – L.A. Is Mine *
05 – Shoot One for Free
06 – Son of a Poor Man
07 – Let Me Love Again
08 – These Nights *
09 – Tears of My Pain
10 – Ridin’ the Storm Out

* unreleased songs featuring Gary Richrath

Michael Jahnz – vocals, guitars
Dennis Pockets – guitars
Scott Weber – keyboards, backing vocals
Doug Janssen – bass, backing vocals
Andy Crownover – drums
and
Gary Richrath – guitar, backing vocals on *

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www.amazon.com/L-Mine-Richrath-Project-13/dp/B096WX37Q3